


The Team’s Addicted—The Connection Job

by crayonbreakygal



Category: Leverage
Genre: Addiction, Gen, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-06
Updated: 2016-07-06
Packaged: 2018-07-21 21:46:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7406077
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crayonbreakygal/pseuds/crayonbreakygal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The opposite of addiction is not sobriety. The opposite of addiction is connection.  Takes place sometime during season four.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Team’s Addicted—The Connection Job

**Author's Note:**

> OK, I'm on a roll about addiction. Not sure where I got this quote, but it works for the team as a whole. Enjoy!

Takes place anytime during season four and after.

The Team’s Addicted—The Connection Job

 

“The opposite of addiction is not sobriety. The opposite of addiction is connection. And our whole society, the engine of our society, is geared towards making us connect with things not people.”-- Johann Hari

 

Parker connected with money.  She was addicted to it:  how it felt, how it smelled, what it did to others.  This was why she liked it so much.  It gave her peace of mind when she held it in her hands.  She would say she was addicted to it.  That didn’t bother her one bit.  It wasn’t like she used it for anything, except to possibly eat cereal and better rigging.  It certainly didn’t help her connect with people, since that was a challenge all its own.  It was her connection with money, with thieving, that brought her family, in a round-about way.  If she hadn’t been so obsessive with thieving, she would never have been the best.  Her job required her to be the best at what she was. 

Only when she joined up with the others, she realized it was better being a part of a team.  There were things she forgot, things she didn’t look out for, things that could get her hurt.  Nate was there to make sure that didn’t happen.  Hardison was there to find a way out when needed.  Eliot was there to pull her out with his fists if it all went to shit.  And Sophie was there to sooth her wounds and made her whole again if she needed that.

So if the opposite of addiction was connection, then she was connected.  That didn’t mean she wasn’t addicted to them.  Not at all.  They were all she had.

 

Hardison connected with technology. It soothed him, made him feel special when he found things on the web, when he connected the dots so that no one else on the team had to do that, except for Nate. Hardison was addicted to information and that was OK with him.  It gave him peace of mind when the information just appeared exactly where he had assumed it would be.  He would say that he was addicted to it. That didn’t bother him one bit.  Sure, he used it every day, to check on his team, to make sure they were safe.  It made him connect with people, which was the best in his book.  He’d been taught that was the right way to do things, to connect with people from all over the world.  His nana had taught him that, if just because of the way she raised him.  People were people and the best way for them to accept him was because of his ability to share his heart.  It was his connection with technology that brought him his family, if in a round-about way.  If he hadn’t been so obsessive about hacking, then he never would have been the best out there.  His job required him to be the best at what he was.

Only when he joined up with the others, he knew it was better to be a part of a team.  There were things that he forgot, things that he just didn’t understand about the world yet, being the youngest team member.  Nate was there to make sure nothing happened to him.  Parker was there to help everything come together.  Eliot was there to punch his way out for them.  Sophie was there to guide him or make him whole if something went wrong.

So if the opposite of addiction was connection, then he was connected (by the tech and the people).  That didn’t mean he wasn’t addicted to them.  Not at all.  They were all he had.

 

Eliot connected with protection.  He had sacrificed his life more than once to keep people safe.  That was what he was trained to do, for his country, and ultimately, for his team of thieves that did good in the world.  It soothed him, made him feel wanted that his team trusted him to guard their backs.  He was addicted to protecting them, from their enemies and sometimes from themselves.  That didn’t bother him one bit.  He studied every day, to check on his team, to make sure they were safe.  That was his job.  His connection helped make him a better person, because of his past, he needed that in spades. It was his connection with hitting and being a retrieval specialist, that brought him family, in a round-about way.  If he hadn’t been so obsessive with protecting others, then he would never have been the best.  His job required that he to be the best at what he was.  He’d accept no less, ever.

Only when he joined up with the others, he knew it was better to be a part of a team.  There were things that he forgot, things that he just didn’t understand about life that he discovered being a team member.  Nate was there to make sure nothing happened to him, which meant planning a better con than he ever could.  Parker being there meant that she could take the burden away from him if it all went crazy.  He knew that she could handle herself.  Hardison could find him a way out, for himself and the others if needed.  Sophie could out grift, out con, outdo them all in a pinch, protecting them like he thought no other could.  She was their soul and he wouldn’t give that away for anything.

So if the opposite of addiction was connection, then he was connected, just because he had to care for them in more ways than hitting.  That didn’t mean he wasn’t addicted to them.  Not at all.  They were all he had.

 

Sophie’s connection was with people, what they wanted, what they craved, and what they ultimately needed.  She used that to her advantage, sometimes to stay alive.  Sophie was addicted to reading people and that was OK with her, although she had issues here and there doing it.  It gave her peace of mind when a good con came together, when they could give their client the satisfaction of fixing their problem or making it go away.  And when she planned it with Nate, all the better.  It soothed her, that her team trusted her to keep them safe, that Nate trusted her to do her best or worst as the case may be.  She was addicted to protecting her team, from their enemies and sometimes from themselves.  That didn’t bother her one bit. That had been the job she ultimately filled, even if that was not what she had signed up for in the first place.  Grifting was only part of the job.  It was her connection with grifting and people that brought her family, in a round-about way.  If she hadn’t been so obsessive about hacking into people’s brains, then she never would have been the best out there.  Her job required her to be the best grifter there ever was.

Only when she joined up with the others, she knew it was better to be a part of a team.  There were things that she could never do, like hit or climb or for the most part, use the computer the way Hardison did.  Nate was there to make sure nothing happened to her, which meant planning a better con than she ever could by herself.  Parker being there meant that she could take the burden away from her if it all went crazy and she had to save Nate or the other two from themselves.  She knew that Parker could finally handle herself in the world.  Hardison could find her a way out, for herself and the others if needed. Eliot could pull her out, if the con went sideways, if Nate blew it, if Parker stabbed someone with a fork, if Hardison misjudged the mark’s ability.   She was their soul though and wouldn’t give that away for anything.

So if the opposite of addiction was connection, then she was connected, just because she had to care for them in more ways than playing a role.  That didn’t mean she wasn’t addicted to them.  Not at all.  They were all she had.

 

Nate’s connection was with his team, their abilities, their nuances, the way they operated and ultimately, the way they cared about one another.  If they didn’t care, then this would have never worked in the long run.  Connection was always about how much you cared, even if sometimes you didn’t, even if he told them not to get intimately involved.  He sometimes used their connection to help them stay alive, but they didn’t know that.  He’d push them, pull them back when needed and make them pay the price if they didn’t do what they were supposed to do, like only a good father could do.  It gave him peace of mind when a good con came together, when they could give their client the satisfaction of fixing their problem or making it go away.  And when he planned it with Sophie, all the better.  It soothed him, that his team trusted him to keep them safe, that Sophie and the team trusted him to do his best or worst as the case may be.  He was addicted to protecting his team and their clients, from their enemies and sometimes from themselves.  That didn’t bother him one bit. His job of being the mastermind made him responsible for everyone, including himself, which meant in the end, that he would always take the fall if need be.  It was his connection with grifting, conning, thieving, protecting and hacking into people that brought him this family, in a round-about way.  If he hadn’t been so obsessive about all of these things, then he never would have been the best out there at what he did.  His job required him to be the best at what he did, just so his team would be there in the morning.

Only when he joined up with the others, he knew it was better to be a part of a team.  There were things that he didn’t like to do like hitting and Eliot was certainly better at taking the punishment.  His stomach approved of that since that’s where he always was hit. When he watched Hardison use the computer, gather the information that was needed for a con, it was a thing of beauty. And he could find a way out for each of them if things went south.  Parker could get in and out of a building or situation better than the rest of them and not make a sound.  Her skills of cracking a safe or breaking into an impenetrable place were top notch.  Sophie could out grift, out con, outdo them all in a pinch, protecting them like he thought no other could.  She was their soul and he wouldn’t give that away for anything.  She was also his rock, his guide and ultimately his love, but she didn’t know that yet.

So if the opposite of addiction was connection, then he was connected, because he had to care for them in more ways than just being their boss.  That didn’t mean he wasn’t addicted to them.  Not at all.  They were all he had.  And he needed that to live.

 

So they were connected, not exactly all that sober or sane, but there it was.  Family trumped all.  They loved each other, fought with each other, and made each other better than they ever imagined happening.

 


End file.
